Solid Business in 2023 and Cautiously Optimistic for 2024
Company News I 21.02.2024
The distributor Schukat electronic closed the 2023 financial year with a turnover of 127 million euros with 150 employees and 20 trainees. After record years in 2021 and 2022, the company had expected declines over the course of the year, so this result still represents solid business. The distributor has mixed expectations for 2024. The company believes that there may be continued losses in the year's first half, but is hopeful things will pick up as the year progresses.
Schukat recorded good sales in the first and second quarters of the 2023 financial year due to high order backlogs at customers. However, market confidence dimmed towards the end of the first half of the year, and the decline in demand and postponement of orders led to falling sales in the third quarter. Schukat sees the reason for this primarily in the fact that customers had built up a substantial inventory, which ultimately led to overstocking.
Managing Director Bert Schukat comments: ''Despite the decline, 2023 was a good year for Schukat compared to the allocation years 2021 and 2022. We expected this development and were able to use this phase to stabilise.''
The distributor has achieved remarkable success in the semiconductor sector in particular, especially for MCUs and discrete components, over the last three years, even though demand declined in 2023. From the second half of the 2024 financial year, customers should have largely reduced their inventories, meaning that a trend reversal could be expected due to new demand.
The geopolitical risks, which could lead to developments that remain unpredictable. Nevertheless, Bert Schukat remains optimistic: ''Our goal for 2024 is to stabilise the business volume at the level of 2023. We believe that there are opportunities for a recovery from the third quarter onwards and will actively work towards this," says Bert Schukat, outlining his outlook. "It is now important to look to the future together with customers and implement solutions for exciting applications.''
The distributor relies on its proven philosophy of close customer/manufacturer relationships, long-standing partnerships and the expertise gained through close exchange. Customers benefit from a wide selection of current products and series from the areas of power supplies, parts and components, semiconductors and optoelectronics as well as fans and thermal management. Customised adaptations are also possible. Numerous new additions are planned in all product areas. The introduction of the new web shop rounds off the agenda for 2024 and will be accessible via the Schukat portal www.shop.schukat.com. Furthermore, Schukat remains true to its strengths: comprehensive data, targeted focussing of the portfolio, quick findability, traceability and reliable customer service.